It's always darkest before the dawn
by roses for marianne
Summary: The night is old and the Volturi have yet to arrive for the final confrontation. Esme and the rest of the girls have been separated from their male mates as part of Carlisle's plan to physically and mentally prepare them for the possible fight. The men hunt, leaving the women. When Rosalie lets out a couple lyrics, the other women join in and unknowingly leave their troubles behind


**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, so don't sue me or I might countersue and take everything you own.**

**Author's Note:**  
**I had this idea for a Twilight story when I watched the Voice today and they sung Shake It Out. I thought it was a great song for the females to sing since they all had come across heartbreaking situations before. I'm just typing as I see it. I don't care if you don't like the way I typed the lyrics and I don't care about who should've sung that part or whatnot. Just needed to type this.**

The house sat in complete silence. It was as if a deadly omen had completely surrounded it, silencing the residents. No one broke the silence. They felt like there was nothing to say. They sat in a half circle in the living room, each of them doing their own thing because they didn't want to fall completely to silence. From the left to the right, it was Esme, Rosalie, Alice, Bella, then her half human / half vampire hybrid daughter, Renesmee, who Jacob had fondly nicknamed Nessie against her mother's wishes. You might be wondering where their mates were. They were out hunting. Carlisle, the prominent male figure in the house, had had an idea that the men would separate from their mates in order to prepare them for the inevitable arrival of the Volturi. Carlisle would prepare the men while Esme would prepare the women, their mates. It would be quite a while until the Volturi would show up and it seemed like a good idea... Initially, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward didn't want to go along with the plan because it would leave their loving mates vulnerable, but their mates convinced them to go. It was the men's turn to hunt.

It felt lonely in the house without the men. Esme would try her best to prepare them now, mentally. But honestly, she missed her mate too, but she knew that Carlisle had his hopes in her and she would not disappoint him. Rosalie was listening to music on her iPod, Alice was flipping through a Vogue magazine, Bella was playing with her daughter's hair, and Esme was mindlessly sorting through the mail. Not much chatter except for Bella telling Renesmee how pretty she was. After a few more minutes like this, Esme couldn't take anymore. She had to do something. It wouldn't be long until the guys would return and she would certainly feel guilty when Carlisle would return and see that they hadn't done a thing. And she hated to see his face when he was disappointed at her. Well, so far, he hasn't made that face at her yet, but she didn't want it to be the first time.

"_Regrets collect like old friends. Here to relive your darkest moments. I can see no way, I can see no way. And all of the ghouls come out to play. And every demon wants his pound of flesh. But I like to keep some things to myself. I like to keep my issues drawn. It's always darkest before the dawn..._"

Rosalie had accidently said those lyrics while she was listening to her iPod. Esme guessed that words just come out when you're listening to music. She'd done it before too. And she knew this song. It was different from the songs she usually listened to. But she loved it. It had described her problems well. The devil had been the thing that led her to Charles and the thing that had murdered her wonderful baby boy. She knew it well. Before she could think another word, Alice had joined in. This was a surprise to her. She didn't know that Alice had listened to the song as well.

"_And I've been a fool and I've been blind. I can never leave the past behind. I can see no way, I can see no way. I'm always dragging that horse around. And our love is pastured, such a mournful sound. Tonight I"m gonna bury that horse in the ground. So I like to keep my issues drawn. It's always darkness before the dawn._"

Bella had caught of the beat and joined in as well. Did they all know this song?

"_Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah! Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah!_"

Not even noticing it, even Esme had joined in.

"_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back. So shake him off... oh woah!_"

Rosalie noticed that they were all singing her song. She grinned at this and continued singing.

"_And, I am done with my graceless heart. So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart. Cause I like to keep my issues drawn. It's always darkest before the dawn..._"

Now, they all sung,

"_Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah! Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah!_"

Then it was Alice who continued.

"_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back. So shake him off... oh woah!_"

Bella sung the main lyrics while the rest of them sang background. and with their vampire voices, it sounded beautiful.

"_And it's hard to dance, with a devil on your back. And given half the chance, would I take any of it back? It's a fine romance, but it's left me so undone... It's always darkest before the dawn..._"

They all sang the next part.

"_Oh woah! ...Oh woah..._"

Esme was the next one.

"_And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't. So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road. And I'm ready to suffer and I"m ready to hope... It's a shot in the dark and right in my throat... Cause looking for Heaven, for the devil in me... Looking for Heaven, for the devil in me... Well, what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me... ?! Yeah, yeah!_"

Now all of the girls knew that they all knew the song and continued in harmony. Renesmee even joined in and started snapping and clapping in rhythm.

"_Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah! Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah!_  
_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back. So shake him off, oh woah!_"

Rosalie sang, "_Yeah, yeah!_" in the background while they continued.

"_Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah! Shake it out, shake it out. Shake it out, shake it out. Ooh woaaah!_  
_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back. So shake him off, oh woah!_"

Now Rosalie and the rest of them joined together to sing the last, _"Ooh..._"

When it was all and done, mail was still in Esme's hand, Rosalie's iPod had since then turned off, Alice still had had the magazine in her hands, and Bella was still playing with her daughter's hair. They had, not knowingly, mentally prepared for the war, had sung that song and thought of their past.

Unbeknownst to the women, the men had already returned at the beginning of their song and would have interrupted them if Edward had not read Rosalie's mind and told them that they were singing. And so, the men sneakily entered through Edward's bedroom window and snuck downstairs to hear their mates' sing.

Now that it was over, Carlisle ordered them to go back out of the window whence they came in from and gone to the front of the house and rang the doorbell. Esme went to get it and greeted her husband and sons. Her sons went over to do the same thing. Emmett sat with Rosalie and gave her a kiss, Jasper hugged Alice and spun her around, and Edward kissed Bella and his daughter's forehead.

Esme spoke first. "So, is it your turn now?"


End file.
